Familiar faces take on new roles as PCS students return Aug. 13

BY SAMANTHA GOFF

GRANT TRIBUNE-SENTINEL

Perkins County students will fill the hallways once again Thursday, Aug. 13, as the district begins the 2026-27 school year with several familiar faces stepping into new roles.

Ben Jones is returning to the junior/senior high school after previously serving as its principal, this time in his current role as district superintendent.

Joining him is Perkins County alumna Tara Sudbeck, who has taken over as junior/senior high school principal. Austin Reisig continues to serve as elementary principal.

Another familiar face joining the district is Robin Quinn, who will serve as the career specialist for Perkins County Schools’ new JAG Nebraska program. Quinn comes to the school following a nearly two decade long tenure as the city librarian at Hastings Memorial Library in Grant.

School-day schedules

At the elementary school, personnel are on duty beginning at 7:45 a.m. Walking Club ends and students enter the building at 7:55 a.m., with classes beginning at 8 a.m. Kindergarten through sixth-grade students are dismissed at 3:30 p.m.

Morning preschool classes run from 8-11 a.m., while afternoon classes are held from 12:30-3:30 p.m. The elementary office is open from 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

The regular school day at the junior/senior high school begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3:32 p.m.

Perkins County Schools dismisses at 2:30 p.m. each Friday, with buses running accordingly.

Breakfast and lunch prices

Breakfast is served from 7:30-8 a.m.

For the 2026-27 school year, breakfast costs $2.50 for elementary and junior/senior high students and $3 for adults. Lunch costs $4 for elementary students, $4.50 for junior/senior high students and $5 for adults.

Extra entrées cost $2 at the elementary school and $2.50 at the junior/senior high school and for adults. Extra milk is 75 cents.

Districtwide reduced-price breakfast is 30 cents, and reduced-price lunch is 40 cents.

JAG program joins curriculum

JAG, or Jobs for America’s Graduates, is a for-credit elective designed to help students overcome challenges and prepare for personal and career success after high school.

“I am beyond excited to take on a new challenge and work with the PCS team to bring the JAG Nebraska program to our kids here in Perkins County. It’s a different role, but I will still be able to help people and try to make a difference in their lives and that is my true passion,” Quinn said on her new role. 

Students in grades seven through 12 will have the opportunity to participate in project-based learning, mentorship and career exploration while building personal, professional and workplace skills.

The program is supported by United Way of the Midlands.

Activities move to Bound

Families looking for activity schedules, scores, rosters, updates and notifications will now find them in one place through Bound, the district’s new central activities hub.

Because Bound displays event times according to the host school’s local time zone, families should watch for events listed in either Mountain or Central time.

The district offers 25 extracurricular opportunities for high school students and 13 for junior high students. Livestream links are also available on the district website.

PCS by the numbers

Perkins County Schools served 392 preschool through 12th-grade students during the 2025-26 school year, with 46 faculty members and three administrators.

Students performed above state averages in each subject included in the district’s 2024-25 testing report. PCS recorded proficiency rates of 68% in math, 92% in science and 65% in English language arts. State averages were 58%, 80% and 59%, respectively.

PCS juniors earned an average ACT composite score of 19.4 in 2025, compared with the state average of 19.2. The Nebraska Department of Education classified the district as “Great” in its 2024-25 district snapshot.

Staying connected

Perkins County Elementary School, located at 419 Logan Ave., may be reached at 308-352-4313. Perkins County Junior/Senior High School, located at 740 Sherman Ave., may be reached at 308-352-4735.

Additional information, school resources, livestream links and activity schedules are available at perkinscountyschools.org. Families may also follow Perkins County Schools on Facebook, on X at @PCS_Pride or through the district’s mobile app.